The invention relates to an apparatus for blanching sauerkraut of the kind described in the preamble of claim 1.
Apparatuses of this kind are known; in such apparatuses, a single perforated drum rotates in a brine bath contained in a tub. The tub is embodied as having a double jacket; when this double jacket is heated, the tub and therefore the brine as well are heated through contact with the inner wall of the tub. Because the drum rotates within the tub, the sauerkraut located in the perforated drum comes into contact with the heated brine. This arrangement has the disadvantage, however, that the heat transfer from the tub to the brine and from the brine to the sauerkraut cannot exceed a certain magnitude, which is limited by the inner surface area of the tub. Thus, limits are also placed on increasing the capacity of the apparatus: If the throughput quantity were increased, given a particular structural length of the drum, the sauerkraut upon exiting the drum would not yet have reached the desired temperature of 85.degree. C.; on the other hand, the temperature of the brine, which is already at about 90.degree. to 95.degree. C. (that is, not far below the boiling point), cannot be increased further. Furthermore, a large quantity of brine is required for this operation in order to be at all able to provide the close contact of sauerkraut and brine necessary for sufficiently heating the sauerkraut. Finally, the direct heating of the brine bath brings about the eventuality that some sauerkraut particles, falling through the perforated wall of the drum, are as a result, caused to be baked onto the inner wall of the tub. This is undesirable for hygienic reasons and lowers the efficiency of the apparatus. In addition, it undesirably affects the taste and the quality of the sauerkraut.